Okay, Been wanting to do this one for awhile now.
There have been sooo many books that I have read over the years that really have had a huge impact on my life. Too numerous to add them all in fact. But in spite of this I wanted to at least point out some of the ones that really took me to another world and made me want to become a writer myself. Here it goes.
Anne Rice: Memnoch the Devil
Okay for anyone who knows me this is the one that really hooked me into writing. I read the Vampire Chronicles when I was a teen (FACT: I had read the books long before I had ever seen "Interview with the Vampire")
Although I loved the other books in the series Memnoch was so different then any of the others that it caught my attention and didn't let go. Anne Rice has a style of writing that I love. She is gifted in writing from the first person (Something I do not do) and still creates a sense of atmosphere that is so hard to capture in first person and does this effortlessly.
The story is in many ways a retelling of the fall of Lucifer through to the Passion of Christ done in such a way that even questions non believers are generally stated as asking are accounted for. The Devil becomes an antihero in himself and his version of what happens and it is so expertly done that it makes you feel "Sympathy for the Devil" in many ways. It comes to a close that is such a twist that people argue about it's meaning still today.
An amazing piece of literature to say the least.
Sherrilyn Kenyon: Acheron
This was a book that hits real close to home.
A few years back a friend of mine approached me and without any explanation told me I should read this book. As of that point in my life I had little interest in most of the books coming out for the time. Plus, I have never been into the "Romance" book scene. She told me that she wanted me to read it because it reminded her of me. Of everything I have gone through in life.
Months passed by and I was browsing through the Borders (Awww.....) that was across the street from my house and saw a copy of Acheron. I was having some problems in life and thought that I might just check it out.
To anyone who might check into this book be warned, it is brutal.
There were many times that I found myself putting this book down. The writing was amazing and you really felt connected to the characters but at the same time that was what was so bad about it. While no where near the extent of suffering that Acheron goes through, His story had many elements that reflected deep within me of my own life. It was hard to read but I think because of the understanding of the character I was able to fully appreciate the way that he felt and that he ended up the hero in the end.
It was a testament to the philosophy that no matter what you go through in life, That doesn't mean it will always be that way. Or to put it more accurately by quoting from the book:
"The strongest steel must be forged in the fires of hell."
Edgar Allen Poe: The Raven
This one is pretty self explanatory.
Who honestly does not at least know OF this story.
The reason it makes it to my list is not for the content itself but for the style in which it is written. If you really pay attention to it, There is very little direct dialog in this story, instead it is a narrative that creates an atmosphere. This story is one that even in just a few lines you can vividly image and picture what is going on in the scene. Something incredibly hard to do. He wrote in a way that made you think and feel exactly what was going on in equal measure. One of the most brilliant writers ever to grace the Earth.
The Stories and Works of H.P. Lovecraft
H.P. Lovecraft as some of you know has been cited at the origin of modern Horror writing.
I Honestly could not think of a single Lovecraft story to add here as they are all simply amazing. He brought a unique, intelligence driven narrative played out through journal entries, adding a sense of atmosphere as if you were reading directly from a man that had done these things firsthand.
It's a very similar feeling you get when huddled around the fire at night while someone tells a ghost story. (Not a cheesy one but a good one.)
Anyhow, it's getting late here and I should probably get off for now. Look for a PT2 in the future ;)
There have been sooo many books that I have read over the years that really have had a huge impact on my life. Too numerous to add them all in fact. But in spite of this I wanted to at least point out some of the ones that really took me to another world and made me want to become a writer myself. Here it goes.
Anne Rice: Memnoch the Devil
Okay for anyone who knows me this is the one that really hooked me into writing. I read the Vampire Chronicles when I was a teen (FACT: I had read the books long before I had ever seen "Interview with the Vampire")
Although I loved the other books in the series Memnoch was so different then any of the others that it caught my attention and didn't let go. Anne Rice has a style of writing that I love. She is gifted in writing from the first person (Something I do not do) and still creates a sense of atmosphere that is so hard to capture in first person and does this effortlessly.
The story is in many ways a retelling of the fall of Lucifer through to the Passion of Christ done in such a way that even questions non believers are generally stated as asking are accounted for. The Devil becomes an antihero in himself and his version of what happens and it is so expertly done that it makes you feel "Sympathy for the Devil" in many ways. It comes to a close that is such a twist that people argue about it's meaning still today.
An amazing piece of literature to say the least.
Sherrilyn Kenyon: Acheron
This was a book that hits real close to home.
A few years back a friend of mine approached me and without any explanation told me I should read this book. As of that point in my life I had little interest in most of the books coming out for the time. Plus, I have never been into the "Romance" book scene. She told me that she wanted me to read it because it reminded her of me. Of everything I have gone through in life.
Months passed by and I was browsing through the Borders (Awww.....) that was across the street from my house and saw a copy of Acheron. I was having some problems in life and thought that I might just check it out.
To anyone who might check into this book be warned, it is brutal.
There were many times that I found myself putting this book down. The writing was amazing and you really felt connected to the characters but at the same time that was what was so bad about it. While no where near the extent of suffering that Acheron goes through, His story had many elements that reflected deep within me of my own life. It was hard to read but I think because of the understanding of the character I was able to fully appreciate the way that he felt and that he ended up the hero in the end.
It was a testament to the philosophy that no matter what you go through in life, That doesn't mean it will always be that way. Or to put it more accurately by quoting from the book:
"The strongest steel must be forged in the fires of hell."
Edgar Allen Poe: The Raven
This one is pretty self explanatory.
Who honestly does not at least know OF this story.
The reason it makes it to my list is not for the content itself but for the style in which it is written. If you really pay attention to it, There is very little direct dialog in this story, instead it is a narrative that creates an atmosphere. This story is one that even in just a few lines you can vividly image and picture what is going on in the scene. Something incredibly hard to do. He wrote in a way that made you think and feel exactly what was going on in equal measure. One of the most brilliant writers ever to grace the Earth.
The Stories and Works of H.P. Lovecraft
H.P. Lovecraft as some of you know has been cited at the origin of modern Horror writing.
I Honestly could not think of a single Lovecraft story to add here as they are all simply amazing. He brought a unique, intelligence driven narrative played out through journal entries, adding a sense of atmosphere as if you were reading directly from a man that had done these things firsthand.
It's a very similar feeling you get when huddled around the fire at night while someone tells a ghost story. (Not a cheesy one but a good one.)
Anyhow, it's getting late here and I should probably get off for now. Look for a PT2 in the future ;)